Smokers over 55 years old should be screened for lung cancer every year

Smokers over 55 years old should be screened for lung cancer every year The American Cancer Society (American Cancer Society) announced on the 11th...

Smokers over 55 years old should be screened for lung cancer every year American Cancer Society (American Cancer) Society) announced new guidelines on the 11th, stating that there is sufficient evidence to recommend that regular smokers aged 55 to 74 undergo annual lung cancer screening after receiving counseling on the risks and benefits of lung cancer screening. The study only included older adults who had smoked one pack of cigarettes a day in the past 30 years, or an equivalent amount, such as two packs a day in the past 15 years. It's not clear whether screening can help other people, so the association isn't recommending it for others. Lung cancer is the deadliest cancer in the world. The Cancer Society proposed this guideline based on the results of a large-scale study in 2011. This study found that annual low-dose computed tomography scans (CT Scans) can reduce lung cancer mortality by 20% and mortality from any other cause by 7%. "We try to make sure we minimize the harm that screening can cause, such as unnecessary biopsies, follow-up surgeries after a screening test mistakenly shows cancer," said Wind, who leads the American Cancer Society's guideline-setting group and is director of family medicine at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. People under 55 rarely get lung cancer, so there is little benefit from screening for those younger than 55, Wind said. Wind is also the former president of the American Cancer Society. Among the 20 members of the standard-setting committee, three have close relationships with cancer drug companies or imaging product companies. Lung cancer screening costs $100 to $400 and is not covered by Medicare or private insurance. Insurers should pay for lung cancer screenings for the right people, not everyone, Wind said. More than 160,000 people die from lung cancer in the United States each year, and most patients are diagnosed after the cancer has spread. In recent years, cancer screening has caused great controversy, especially for women's breast cancer screening and the start time and frequency of male prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing. The U.S. government-appointed Preventive Services Task Force has not considered lung cancer screening since 2004, saying there is insufficient evidence to recommend for or against lung cancer screening. The American Cancer Society once recommended chest X-rays, but this recommendation was withdrawn in 1980. Since then, computed tomography scans have been widely used to screen for lung cancer.